For 35 minutes, it looked like Kentucky was headed for another brutal SEC road loss.
Then Malachi Moreno changed everything.
With 1.6 seconds left and Kentucky trailing by one, the Wildcats threw a three-quarter-court pass that felt more like a prayer than a play call. Moreno caught it in stride just behind the free-throw line, turned, and calmly buried a 17-foot jumper as the buzzer sounded — stunning LSU and lifting Kentucky to a dramatic 75–74 comeback win at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Wednesday night.
The basket capped one of the most improbable rallies of the Mark Pope era.
Kentucky trailed by as many as 18 points early in the second half after a disastrous opening 20 minutes in which the Wildcats shot just 26.7 percent from the field and went 2-for-12 from three. LSU controlled the pace, the physicality, and the scoreboard, building a 38–22 halftime lead behind Marquel Sutton’s hot shooting.
But the second half flipped the script entirely.
Kentucky came out aggressive, confident, and relentless from the perimeter, torching the Tigers with elite shot-making. The Wildcats shot 65.4 percent after halftime and an eye-popping 8-for-11 from beyond the arc, slowly slicing into the deficit possession by possession.
An Otega Oweh three-pointer pulled Kentucky within one at the 5:06 mark, igniting a back-and-forth finish that saw the lead change hands late. Kentucky briefly took its first lead at 69–68 off an LSU turnover with under four minutes remaining.
The final moments were pure chaos.
LSU went up 74–72 on Max Mackinnon free throws with 17 seconds left. Oweh answered by splitting a pair at the line to make it a one-point game. After an LSU miss at the stripe with 1.9 seconds remaining, Kentucky secured the rebound and called timeout, setting the stage for the final possession.
Collin Chandler delivered the perfect long pass. Moreno delivered the perfect shot.
Oweh led Kentucky with 21 points, while Denzel Aberdeen added 17 in another strong offensive showing. Andrija Jelavic chipped in 11 points, and Moreno finished with 10 — none bigger than the last two.
LSU placed five players in double figures, led by Max Mackinnon and Marquel Sutton with 16 apiece, but the Tigers couldn’t overcome Kentucky’s second-half explosion or missed opportunities at the free-throw line.
Kentucky led for just 1 minute and 10 seconds all night — and somehow won.
Now 11–6 overall and 2–2 in SEC play, the Wildcats head home with momentum, confidence, and one moment BBN won’t stop replaying.
